Charmaine Wilkerson's Black Cake (2022) tells the story of two young men named Byron and Benny, who are grieving the unexpected death of their mother. When the two travel to their mother to sort out her funeral and estate, they are confronted with a strange inheritance: a black cake, which is accompanied by a strange note and voice recording. Because of this inheritance, the boys start to unwind the mystery that was their mother's life. They discover that a young swimmer once escaped her mother's home after being accused of murder, about their long-lost sibling, and about their mother's secret life—among many other shocking things they discover. At the same time, the boys look inward and discover more about themselves and the strange, but otherwise loving, relationship they had with their mother.
Few authors can credibly claim that one of their novels is a bestseller. Wilkerson can do just that: Black Cake was an instant New York Times bestseller. Not only that, the novel is being adapted into a television series of the same name on streaming giant Hulu, reflecting the novel's brisk sales and mostly positive critical reviews. For instance, The Washington Post wrote a glowing review of Wilkerson's novel and said that it is "a delectable read."
